Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs
Low matrix permeability and significant damage mechanisms are the main signatures of tight-gas reservoirs. During the drilling and fracturing of tight formations, the wellbore liquid invades the tight formation, increases liquid saturation around the wellbore, and eventually reduces permeability at...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association
2012
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6868 |
| _version_ | 1848745201470799872 |
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| author | Murickan, G. Bahrami, Hassan Rezaee, Reza Saeedi, Ali Tsar Mitchel, P. |
| author_facet | Murickan, G. Bahrami, Hassan Rezaee, Reza Saeedi, Ali Tsar Mitchel, P. |
| author_sort | Murickan, G. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Low matrix permeability and significant damage mechanisms are the main signatures of tight-gas reservoirs. During the drilling and fracturing of tight formations, the wellbore liquid invades the tight formation, increases liquid saturation around the wellbore, and eventually reduces permeability at the near wellbore zone. The liquid invasion damage is mainly controlled by capillary pressure and relative permeability curves. Due to high critical water saturation, relative permeability effects and strong capillary pressure, tight formations are sensitive to water invasion damage, making water blocking and phase trapping damage two of the main concerns with using a water-based drilling fluid in tight-gas reservoirs. Therefore, the use of an oil-based mud may be preferred in the drilling or fracturing of a tight formation. Invasion of an oil filtrate into tight formations, however, may result in the introduction of an immiscible liquid-hydrocarbon drilling or completion fluid around the wellbore, causing the entrapment of an additional third phase in the porous media that would exacerbate formation damage effects. This study focuses on phase trapping damage caused by liquid invasion using a water-based drilling fluid in comparison with the use of an oil-based drilling fluid in watersensitive, tight-gas sand reservoirs. Reservoir simulation approach is used to study the effect of relative permeability curves on phase trap damage, and the results of laboratory experiments of core flooding tests in a West Australian tightgas reservoir are shown, where the effect of water injection and oil injection on the damage of core permeability are studied. The results highlight the benefits of using oil-based fluids in drilling and fracturing of tight-gas reservoirs in terms of reducing skin factor and improving well productivity. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:13:36Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-6868 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T06:13:36Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-68682017-01-30T10:56:08Z Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs Murickan, G. Bahrami, Hassan Rezaee, Reza Saeedi, Ali Tsar Mitchel, P. water-based drilling fluids Tight-gas reservoirs phase trap damage relative permeability oil-based drilling fluids Low matrix permeability and significant damage mechanisms are the main signatures of tight-gas reservoirs. During the drilling and fracturing of tight formations, the wellbore liquid invades the tight formation, increases liquid saturation around the wellbore, and eventually reduces permeability at the near wellbore zone. The liquid invasion damage is mainly controlled by capillary pressure and relative permeability curves. Due to high critical water saturation, relative permeability effects and strong capillary pressure, tight formations are sensitive to water invasion damage, making water blocking and phase trapping damage two of the main concerns with using a water-based drilling fluid in tight-gas reservoirs. Therefore, the use of an oil-based mud may be preferred in the drilling or fracturing of a tight formation. Invasion of an oil filtrate into tight formations, however, may result in the introduction of an immiscible liquid-hydrocarbon drilling or completion fluid around the wellbore, causing the entrapment of an additional third phase in the porous media that would exacerbate formation damage effects. This study focuses on phase trapping damage caused by liquid invasion using a water-based drilling fluid in comparison with the use of an oil-based drilling fluid in watersensitive, tight-gas sand reservoirs. Reservoir simulation approach is used to study the effect of relative permeability curves on phase trap damage, and the results of laboratory experiments of core flooding tests in a West Australian tightgas reservoir are shown, where the effect of water injection and oil injection on the damage of core permeability are studied. The results highlight the benefits of using oil-based fluids in drilling and fracturing of tight-gas reservoirs in terms of reducing skin factor and improving well productivity. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6868 Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association restricted |
| spellingShingle | water-based drilling fluids Tight-gas reservoirs phase trap damage relative permeability oil-based drilling fluids Murickan, G. Bahrami, Hassan Rezaee, Reza Saeedi, Ali Tsar Mitchel, P. Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| title | Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| title_full | Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| title_fullStr | Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| title_short | Using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| title_sort | using relative permeability curves to evaluate phase trapping damage caused by water-based and oil-based drilling fluids in tight gas reservoirs |
| topic | water-based drilling fluids Tight-gas reservoirs phase trap damage relative permeability oil-based drilling fluids |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/6868 |